Overview of Ecoregion Geographic Data at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

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1 Overview of Ecoregion Geographic Data at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Last updated 4/4/02 Several statewide data sets are available delineating ecoregions of Wisconsin -- regions that are relatively homogeneous in terms of selected physiographic or natural characteristics. The concept of ecosystem-based management was developed primarily by federal agencies, including the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Forest Service (USFS), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the US Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Although these agencies' concepts of ecosystem-based management have much in common, they also differ due to the management strategies of each agency. Here is a listing of the ecoregion data sets described herein: 1. National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units (NHFEU) -- "feunw92d". "feupw91m", Developed by USFS and cooperators. Related data sets include: - Ecological Units: First Approximation (aka Bailey s Ecoregions); - Landtype Associations (LTAs), and - Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin. 2. Omernik's Ecoregions -- "ecopw92m". Developed by US EPA 3. Natural Divisions -- "ndvpw91m". Developed by WGNHS 4. Albert's Regional Landscape Ecosystems -- "rlepw92m". Developed by USFS North Central Forest Experiment Station. National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units (NHFEU) - "feupw91m", "feunw92d" The NHFEU concept, developed by the USFS, is considered one of the oldest and bestdocumented ecosystem classification schemes at the federal level. The NHFEU has been refined over the years as new information becomes available to identify lower levels of the hierarchy. Only recently have these delineations been captured in digital form for use in a GIS. Bailey, Russel and "Ecological Units: First Approximation" The NHFEU Province and Section level information developed by Robert G. Bailey and others is commonly known as "Bailey's Ecoregions". This work resulted in the following maps (in order of revision): 1) "Ecoregions of the United States, USDA Forest Service, (scale 1:7,500,000, revised 1994)"; 2) "Ecoregions and Subregions of the United States - Bailey et al., 1995 revised." Documentation of these concepts is provided in a USFS publication, "Ecological Subregions of the United States: Section Descriptions", USDA Forest Service, July 1994, WO-WSA-5. Compiled by W. Henry McNab and Peter E. Evers. These two individuals helped Bailey in mapping the Sections and creating the Section desciptions. A scientist named Russel (sic) developed the "East Side" Subsection map titled "Ecological Units of the Eastern United States - First Approximation" , 1:1,000,000 scale, which was published in digital form on CD-ROM. This work is documented by a publication of the Subsection "key" used for the map and titled, "Map Unit Tables, Subsections, Ecological Units of the Eastern United States, First Approximation, 1995, edited and integrated by James E. Keys, Jr., W. Henry McNab and Constance A. Carpenter, Forest Service." This data set was previously named "efapw91m", but was renamed "feunw91m" to indicate its relationship to the NHFEU. Additional information about this work is provided in Ecological Subregions of the United States: Section Descriptions (McNab & Evers, 1994). This reference describes the NHFEU as, a regionalization, classification, and mapping system for stratifying the Earth into progressively smaller areas of increasingly uniform ecological potentials. Ecological types are classified and ecological units are mapped based on associations of those biotic and environmental factors that

2 directly affect or indirectly express energy, moisture, and nutrient gradients which regulate the structure and function of ecosystems. These factors include climate, physiography, water, soils, air, hydrology, and potential natural communities. (p.1) Landtype Associations (LTAs) LTAs are units in the USFS NHFEU structure at the next level of detail below subsections. LTAs are intended to represent landscape-scale ecological potential, are differentiated by dominant physical and biological components and processes, and are delineated by physically recognizable boundaries. The concept of NHFEU LTAs was developed by Jim Jordan, with whom the Wisconsin LTA Project Team has been working. With the guidance of Jim, the WI team (headed by Joe Kovach, WiDNR), LTAs were compiled and mapped for Wisconsin at 1:250,000 scale. This map is titled "Landtype Associations of WI: First Approximation". The data used in developing the LTAs is documented in a data dictionary and untitled reference document currently under review. The LTA data set is still preliminary, but is considered stable statewide, and is represented as "region.lta" in the coverage "feunw92d". The DNR is leading a cooperative effort with Michigan and Minnesota to develop a seamless tri-state LTA coverage. Though this work is essentially completed for WI, MN is over half finished, and MI is about half finished. All data are being compiled at the same scale and from the same sources, with lines matching across state boundaries. 1:250K NHFEU Provinces, Sections and Subsections from LTAs The 1:250,000-scale LTA units developed by the WI LTA Project Team were used to delineate provinces, sections and subsections consistent with the NHFEU structure. These are represented in the region,prv, region.sec and region.sub feature classes of the coverage feunw92d. NHFEU-Related Data Files GEO staff have prepared several data files associated with the 1:250K NHFEU data by performing spatial overlays with several other DNR geographic data layers. Descriptions of these data files will be provided in the NHFEU Data Dictionary (see below). The names of these data files in INFO file format are: - feuw92d.geo; geology information. - feuw92d.fin; Finley's Presettlement information. - feuw92d.hab; habitat information. - feuw92d; hydrology information. - feuw92d.clm; climate information. - feuw92d.sol; soils information (not yet available; will come with year 2000 updates) NHFEU Data Documentation Several documents in text or MS Excel format are available or in work describing the contents of the NHFEU data. Note that the names of these documents, when finalized, may differ from those listed below: - feunw92d.xls; spreadsheet with 250K LTA symbol, name, and character description - subdescr.txt; 1:1million Subsection symbol, name and character description - region_eco.txt; 1:250k and 1:1million Ecoregion name and character description - NHFEU Data Dictionary (in work) - NHFEU User s Guide (in work)

3 Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin are aggregations of NHFEU subsections that have been assigned descriptive names. The Ecological Landscapes shapefile is derived from the "region.eco" feature class of the feunw92d coverage. The Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin are represented on a May, 1999 map prepared under the direction of the DNR Division of Land Ecosystem Management Planning Team. A more generalized version of Ecological Landscapes, is present in feupw91m (formerly named ecopw91m ). Other NHFEU Reference Excerpts & Citations Ecoregions and Subregions of the United States: Ecoregions were adapted from R. G. Bailey [Ecoregions of the United States, USDA Forest Service (scale 1:7,500,000)]. Subregion maps were researched and prepared by Forest Service Region compilers in collaboration with regional interdisciplinary personnel. These maps were then assembled and integrated by the editors to produce a national map. Ecological Units of the Eastern United States: First Approximation: This map depicts regional and subregional ecological units developed according to the classification scheme of the National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units (Avers et. al., 1994). The map presents the first iteration of Subsections which nest within and refine successively larger ecological Units (Bailey et. al., 1995 revised), ultimately, being bounded by delineations of the Humid Temperate and Humid Tropical Domains of the continental United States and Puerto Rico. Edited and integrated by : Jim Keys and Constance Carpenter, Forest Service. Based on US Geological Survey National Atlas Series. Map constructed by automated methods by USDA Forest Service, Southern Region, Geometronics, with support from Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, Forest Health GIS groups, NH, and WV; and Northeastern and North Central Forest Experiment Stations. Ecoregion and subregion theme designs by R.G. Bailey, et., al. Omernik's Ecoregions - "ecopw92m" For information about this data set, please refer to the document eco_omernik.doc located in the \dvgislib\dv_doc\metadata\ directory. Natural Divisions - "ndvpw91m" This dataset is a digitized version of a map at 1:1,000,000 scale, "Natural Divisions of Wisconsin" (Hole and Germain, 1994). This effort was specific to Wisconsin, and was sponsored by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS). Natural divisions are characterized primarily by type of forest cover (actual or potential), soils, and topography. Albert's Regional Landscape Ecosystems - "rlepw92m" The USFS contracted with Dennis Albert to develop a concept of regional landscape ecosystems for the Great Lakes states. This dataset was automated from a 1:2,000,000-scale map, "Regional Landscape Ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, & Wisconsin" (Albert, 1995), and published by the USFS North Central Forest Experiment Station. As described by the reference document, the ecosystem classification is "based on differences in climate, bedrock geology, glacial landform, and soils." The reference document is "Regional Landscape Ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, & Wisconsin: A Working Map and Classification", USDA Forest Service NC Other Ecoregion Data Sets on the horizon

4 - The USDA/NRCS (formerly SCS) has been working on their own ecoregions scheme, known as MLRAs. More information about this is expected in the near future. - The USFWS is believed to also be using a watershed-based scheme for ecoregions similar to Omernik's. Prepared by John Laedlein & Mitch Moline WiDNR Bureau of Enterprise Information Technology & Applications 8/13/99, updated 10/19/99, 1/4/00, 9/18/01, 4/4/02 WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES LEGAL NOTICES, DISCLAIMERS AND TERMS OF USE Downloaded from WiDNR Website 5/28/98 DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY Neither the State of Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources nor any of its employees shall be held liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information described and/or contained herein and assumes no responsibility for anyone's use of the information. In no event shall the Department or its employees be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including, but not limited to, procurement or substitute goods or services; loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption) however caused and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of the use of this system, even if advised of the possibility of such damage. This disclaimer of liability applies to any damages or injury, including but not limited to those caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communication line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, alteration of, or use of record, whether for breach of contract, tortious behavior, negligence or under any other cause of action. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES AND ACCURACY OF DATA Although the data found using the Department's access systems have been produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of the information. The Department provides this information on an "as is" basis. All warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, freedom from contamination by computer viruses and non-infringement of proprietary rights are disclaimed. Changes may be periodically made to the information herein; these changes may or may not be incorporated in any new version of the publication. If you have obtained information from the Department from a source other than the Department, be aware that electronic data can be altered subsequent to

5 original distribution. Data can also quickly become out-of-date. It is recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of any data associated with a file, and that the originator of the data or information be contacted with any questions regarding appropriate use. DISCLAIMER OF ENDORSEMENT The Department is a distributor of content sometimes supplied by third parties and users. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, users, or others, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Department and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Department. CHOICE OF LAW Construction of the disclaimers above and resolution of disputes thereof are governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin. The laws of the state of Wisconsin, U.S.A., shall apply to all uses of this data and this system. By use of this system and any data contained therein, the user agrees that use shall conform to all applicable laws and regulations and user shall not violate the rights of any third parties.

Changing Ecoregional Map Boundaries

February 12, 2004 By Robert G. Bailey, USDA Forest Service, Inventory & Monitoring Institute Changing Ecoregional Map Boundaries The Forest Service has developed a mapping framework to help managers better